Trip 115 to Los Angeles

Trip 115, Los Angeles

Friday, Aug 2, 2013

We set a new record for leaving, later than ever before, 5 PM. For some reason it seemed to take forever to get things loaded and squared away than it ever did. I guess maybe rearranging everything so the VASA could be stored in the back might have added a little, but I think it was just everything all piled up on everything else. Nan Lou says when we return from this trip we will head for the northland with the clothes on our back. I say, will we pack food and water? 

All went well until I got screwed up on the road number from Lebanon that heads west towards Crawfordsville. I took 39 and not 32. Yes, I did look at the map, but I can’t remember diddly squat when it comes to numbers. I have written down a few scant directions for tomorrow. 

We are near Champaign, Illinois at a Cracker Barrel for the night. We were headed for a nearby Wally’s but CB reared its nice big sign and since we were scheduled to eat, we stopped and ate. They had a Friday fish special with either cod or catfish. We chose the regular cat dinner but not the special since the nice waiter told us the special was nuggets of deep fried fish. We thought of McDonalds’ chicken McNuggets and went uck.

Now after a bit of dual computer time we will retire to the back bedroom for the night.  hb

Saturday, August 3, 2013

Being at the Cracked Barrel made it easy to find breakfast. Of course we were too late for oatmeal and settled for a few things ala cart. The coffee was the usual tasteless weak brew.

Reviewing the night we slept without a blanket and were comfortable until a few hours before arising when we felt a wee chill in the air. Tonight we will have a light blanket at hand in case. It seems to be a little cooler than last night.

So far we had traveled mainly in the interstates, I-74 to be exact. It was very pleasant with light traffic and a notable absence of trucks. The Illinois section was rather rough though. Today we spent about 10 minutes on the 74 until we came to I-72 which had even less traffic than 74. Altogether it was nearly as nice as a blue highway. The last leg of today’s trip was on plain old US 36 which is a four lane road with very few cross roads or towns so far. It was smooth except it had a surface that made our tires whine like a banshee. 

The phone map thing led us right to our WalMart campground for the night in Chillicothe, Missouri. After stocking up on a few things, checking LC (our towed car), and eating a snack it was time for the log and bed. Guid Nicht.  hb  

Sunday, August 4, 2013.

We wondered what was around Wally’s where we could breakfast. I exited the Dragon and spotted a bright yellow awning between several nearby buildings and sure enough it was a McDonalds. We were early enough for a breakfast and we over fed on McMuffins. Then it was off to the gas station which was a challenge to one’s patience. There was a van at a convenient pump and the guy had just finished his gassing up. He went into the station’s store and didn’t come out for so long I went and looked in his van to see he had returned and was having trouble getting it started. There were two people in a back seat, but no driver. I went back to the Dragon and we waited some more. Finally he did come out, BUT he went back into the store. I was fuming. WHY DIDN’T HE MOVE THE VAN OUT OF THE GAS AREA TO A PARKING PLACE? I went in the store and he was just paying for something so I figured he would be on the move soon. Back to the van, Nan Lou said it had a handicap plate. I said he was moving around like he wasn’t a bit handicapped. At this point you ask why didn’t move over to another lane. I answer with; we cannot backup our rig with the tow bar without boogering up the $500 tow bar. Finally, out he came with a woman in a wheel chair and went to the van and left. NL said our little waiting difficulty was nothing to having one of us confined to a wheel chair. That put the whole thing in perspective, except he could have moved his van to one of the many parking places at the store 17 minutes earlier. Or maybe not.

Finally we were on our way along the four lane US 36 for the last sixty some miles in Missouri. We decided to stick on this wide blue highway for as far as we could because it was so pleasant to drive. Soon we were in Kansas and 36 turned into a two lane road. Even better, a first class blue highway ala those in the book, “Blue Highways.” We’ve been going between 62 and 68 MPH along these 65 MPH limit highways. The towns are few and far between but it is interesting to see them up close. Some are so small there are no restaurants, not even a Subway. We figure everyone always eats at home. Then we wonder where they get their groceries. The mom and pop restaurants are pretty much a thing of the past, or tucked away from the highway so we never see them. Hence we ate at a Pizza Hut.

We’ve done a little shopping in a couple of WalMart Supercenters, albeit small Supercenters, they’ve been so nice compared to the ones at home. Polite customers, friendly staff and clean stores (so far). 

A search ahead for a Wally’s for the night yielded nada. We saw a state park, Lovewell, on the phone map program, about 95 miles away and we headed there. It’s a bit out of our way but it has pull thrus meaning we don’t have to unhitch LC. After a little trouble getting there because of phone map problems we made it. It’s a very nice park set around a large reservoir and we are about 150 feet from the water. Here we are near the middle of Kansas and we had a very nice sunset over water. Since the check-in was closed I have no idea how much this place costs with their five classes of camp sites, a possible park entry fee, and who knows what else.   

Tomorrow we have to figure out which way we head. North to avoid the heat, south to save time and miles, or straight to put up with the 19 million people along the I-25 corridor near Denver.   hb   

Monday, August 5, 2013




At last night’s state park there were several campers just ahead of us.  They looked like they were settled in for a week or more and it also looked like they were all together.  They were obviously fishermen.  However, they were the quietest campers ever.  Not even an annoying campfire smoking away.  I like campfires; I just don’t like it when people let them smoke and smoke. We have seen neither hide nor hair of any person who worked for the park or campground.

Being totally honest, Hammie went in to pay and found out that the whole caboodle cost about fifteen dollars which is a pretty fair bargain in this day and age.

We headed north.  Ham will have to add road numbers and such.  Poor Rachel lived with tidal waves.  There were tar strips  regularly across the road and each one provided a thump……a great big thump.  This went on and on and on. As soon as possible, the intrepid driver moved to a different road and, of course, he will provide the proper number.  I will say when we reached I-80 West poor Rachel breathed a big sigh of relief. (We went north on route 14 from the campground to get on US 136 in southern Nebraska which was the terrible road. We then took route 10 north to I-80.)

On I-80 there was a big arch over the road. It was fairly new and was to commemorate the history of the Great Plains.  The planners weren’t on the ball very much because you couldn’t get to it unless you went several miles down the road to the next exit.  Oh well, we passed on that anyway.  We also passed on Buffalo Bill’s ranch and Robert Henri’s museum.  You are wondering what we did NOT pass.  We did not pass on Perkins.  We were more than ready for something other than a fast food Hamburger.  I even had chicken fried steak. Hamilton, again, had a chicken breast.  My unhealthy meal was quite yummy.  I think the driver was envious.

We had no cloud face show today.  It was really good yesterday. However, Ham bought us a iced decaf soy latte for desert.  He came out of Starbucks quite happy with instructions to look skyward.  Yes, indeed, breaking all cloud face records, there was a sky guy lying on his back one huge, giant erection.  With that classy sight we ventured onward. We did see beautiful streams of light from the clouds which Waller called God Light.  I think it is a pretty good description even though I can’t stand the guy’s books.  Ham does NOT  share my opinion on that subject.

Getting gas is always a bit of a problem with pumps shutting off a seventy five dollars, plus other problems poor design tank filling problems.  Gas prices have risen mightily now that we are in such a barren land and stations are few and far between.  We spotted one good deal for $3.54…for gas with 10% ethanol that is. Regular Regular is 10 to 30 cents higher. Gotta support the ag industrial complex.

We had to get to Wal Mart in Sidney, Nebraska which might as well have been on the moon.  I swear they kept moving the town farther and farther down the road. Found at last!  And, the parking lot was packed with campers and semis.  It took some driving around to end up where we started and at last I think we are here for the night.  Hamilton has washed fruit and I have done my exercises, so it is definitely time for nighty night.  nl

Tuesday, August 06, 2013

We were up unusually early because had somehow we’d been moved into another time zone, Rocky Mountain I guess. I thought Mickey’s place was within easy walking but it was way across the busy highway so we drove there. I tried the egg white McMuffin and practically gagged on it. They forget the cheese, the egg white must have come from a parakeet, and the muffin part was made out of dried out cardboard. Live and learn.

Back on the road we headed west on I-80 and stopped in 50 miles to take in more coffee and to let the earlier coffee out. Back on the road we saw a sign for the Sierra Trading Post outlet store and we could not pass it up. It was on the outskirts of Cheyenne, Wyoming in another 50 miles. Their outlet prices were outta this world except for some snack stuff. They had a special parking lot for trucks and RVs which, naturally, was a long walk away from the store. Truckers and RVers are a hardy lot.

Then it was off to Laramie and another WalMart for the night. The day’s drive was only 150 miles, less than half of yesterday’s. The landscape finally started looking like the west with a few small mesas and rolling hills. There were no crops, just grassland and the road was going up more than it had on this trip. The Dragon was happier dropping out of overdrive for the long steady rise of the 80. I was surprised to see an elevation sign of 8,400 feet. I think we started out this day at something under 3,000 feet. 

We arrived at Wallys about four and found a nice big parking lot. After we wandered the store we saw several other trucks and RVs keeping us company. They also had a Subway and that’s where we dined this evening. 

NL and I wore ourselves out yesterday and we took it easy today. The temperature is a bit lower and might even drop to the low 60s or high 50s tonight. Now I must go and see how we will get to Moab.   hb     

Wednesday, August 07, 2013

It was cold last night, we used the red bag. I saw 58 on the thermometer in the early morning. It will be 75 tonight and between 90 and 102 for the foreseeable future. It just might be like that forever. The phone showed a Starbuck’s about a mile away and when we got there we saw Mickey’s right next door. We chose Mickey’s naturally; their coffee was pretty good here as it was at the last one or two. There was a gas station right there and all the slopes looked good. But it still didn’t fill because of the crappy Coachmen design. Or maybe it’s a crappy Ford design, whatever, it’s a crappy filling design anyway.

I was feeling a little yucky this morning and with my good fortune it stayed with me all day. We ate at a Taco Bell next to our night’s WalMart and I’ve been feeling better. Go figure. NL either felt better today or she covered up her ailments to baby me. She is a good actress and does things like that all the time. You gotta love her, I do.

Early today or yesterday sometime we were astounded at the lack of traffic on I-80. After we passed Cheyenne it picked up quite a bit and starting today there were more trucks going both directions with very few cars than I could have imagined. There have been four or five construction sites along I-80 with only one lane in each direction. Traffic has been so light, even when there were scads of trucks there have been no long lanes of creeping vehicles.

The views from the cab were of low rolling hills covered mostly with brown grass. Now and then we saw an outcropping of rock and a bigger hill that some might call a mountain. As we neared Rock Springs, Wyoming there were plenty of interesting very rocky formations. That might be why this place is called Rock Springs. Guid Nicht,    hb

Thursday, August 08, 2013

We arose pretty early after a rather cool night. The Weather Channel temperature for Rock Springs was 15 to 20 degrees higher than what we had. NL had some strange place caller North Rock Springs on her phone but there was no state named with it. Its temperature agreed with what we were facing. But I could not find such a place on any maps.

There was an IHOP about two blocks away and we walked there. The service was weird, say terrible, and the oatmeal was almost cold. It looked like the place was getting ready to go out of business too. 

I was going to go in Wallys for something but by the time we rested after that breakfast we had to go. All the roads there curve around and around because of the hilly terrain and it was just pure luck I made it to I-80 after a few wrong turns. The 80 had less traffic than it had yesterday and the route was through sharply rolling hills most of which were covered with a brown stubble. We went through one small pass with green on one side and brown on the other. It looked like there been a fire a year or two ago. There were random rocky outcroppings and areas where your view was uninterrupted for miles on each side. It was in one of these areas I noticed the small to medium places that looked like chemical plants about a mile away from the road. We must have passed about ten of them and it reminded me of the spooky area in Idaho where there were similar structures far away from the main road. We found out those were secret nuclear facilities run by the government. The only one near the road with public access was the small first ever nuclear generator. There was also a small almost abandoned city named Atom or maybe Atom City. We need to return there, I liked it, NL thought it spooky. I believe I digressed, back to the now and these new strange places. We passed one sign naming several businesses with the word chemical in their name. Ah ha say I. Have you heard of Mustard gas, Nerve gas, and the ever popular Catsup gas? And of course all those new ones with no names, just a series of digits. I say no more.

We were approaching Salt Lake City and I was at sixes and sevens about going around it or through it. Through it was all interstates and around it was half interstates and half standard roads. I didn’t feel like fighting busy I roads in a busy city nor going through the burbs. At the last moment I took the route bypassing the city and it proved to be pretty good until we hit Provo with Brigham Young University smack dab in the middle. We were both tired and headed for a WalMart a few miles to the south and as luck would have it there was a Cracker Barrel less than a mile from Wallys. That settled it, we were tired, what’s new, hungry, and the CB was tickled to have us grace their parking lot with our rig.   

Something keeps nagging my pea brain that should have been entered in the log a couple of days ago but I can’t bring it up anytime I am near the computer. Maybe tomorrow.    hb

Wednesday, August 09, 2013

I awoke at 4 AM remembering I had turned the headlights on in the rain we had yesterday. The battery was dead enough nothing registered. I checked online and saw how to use the emergency start switch and went back to bed. At 8:30 I used it and it worked great. After a half hour I turned the engine off and by then NL was ready to get up. The Cracked Barrel served up a nice breakfast and soon we were off to the nearest gas station about 150 feet away. I think I was able to fill the tank almost all the way for the first time on this trip. 

In another 300 feet we were on I-15 which was decidedly boring. The last three days we drove interstates simply because it was about the only way to get from A to B without doubling the distance. Nan Lou poured over the map and announced that route 89 looked like a viable alternative more or less paralleling the 15. It brought us closer to the hills or mountains or whatever they’re called and we were able to see some tiny towns up close. For a while it ran concurrently with I-15 and then returned to its own two lane road. There were dark clouds over the mountains to the east and ahead of us. We saw many lightening streaks and had some rain ourselves. We complained that the old mom and pop restaurants in the small towns were gone being replaced by Subways and other fast food eateries. We slowed and really looked for some, but we gave up. Then we hit Salina, Utah, not Kansas, and lo and behold Mom’s place graced the corner of two main streets. We had homemade pie and coffee at a non fast food restaurant for the first time in a long time. Our day was made.

Back on the road we went through an area with towering rock formations and curvy, curvy roads. As we passed a campground that looked pretty nice we decided to call it a short day and find a place to spend the night that wasn’t called Wally’s. We saw a few in the heart of this ATV, ORV, area that looked packed. Soon we found a very small place a block off the highway in Junction. The computer said they had pull thrus but when we pulled in I didn’t see any. When I found the camp host he pointed to where we had parked said it looks like I found a pull thru site. Sure enough it was. I thought it was just a turn around. The full hookup site was only $16.

The temperature was very nice today and will be in the 50s tonight. We have electricity so Rachel will be comfy in her watery glass cage. Nan Lou cooked tuna salad and then did computer things while I searched the phones map and camp programs for a way back to I-15 which is our only viable way to go. There are about four different ways but one had low clearances and a tunnel we would have to get an escort to take us through it. That route was going through Zion National Park. One other had nasty grades I didn’t want to face ‘cause I am chicken. One was pretty much out of our way, we might decide on that way tomorrow.

I think it is time to quit this log and get things ready for the night.   hb    

Saturday, August 10, 2013

Nan Lou cooked up a breakfast and I made coffee after a good night’s sleep in this quaint little campground. I went and asked Ron the camp host and a couple of long termers about the routes to I-15. Like the All Stays phone ap said the close route was easy going and the long route was easy too but with better scenery. We chose the long one and started out at 11:00. 

We stopped at Panguitch to look at a couple of shops and decided to have a bit of sweetening. NL bought a silk shirt in a thrift shop and was told about a great little bakery a few doors away. Like sheeps that were directed to the slaughter house we went and had terrible coffee, bad donuts, and ate in a depressing setting. We left Panguitch. By now we were thinking about taking the trip to the north rim of the Grand Canyon. Stopping at Kanab for a Chinese lunch we made the decision to go for it over my passable sweet and sour something and Nan Lou’s uneatable pork egg foo yong. In her nonchalant way she said, “I love an adventure even if it makes me want to puke.” Two in a row, the next strike is an out and we will have to eat at McDonalds and Subway from now to eternity.

The scenery was very nice going from rolling hills to rocky prominences and canyons with some red rock coloring like at Sedona. Stopping with our rig is next to impossible and our photo record suffers greatly. NL shoots a lot out the windows but with the big overhang and those giant mirrors in the way who knows what we will get. Toward the end of the drive today we had some pretty steep second gear hills to climb going from 5000 feet up to 7000 feet.   

A little research and questioning of travel help people and we thought it best if we stay at the National Forest Service Campground at Jacob Lake where route 67 branches of for the north rim. There is a private campground here for about $40 but being intrepid trail breakers we chose this $9 site at the NFS cap. It is nice, we have a slanted pull thru and it is not crowded. There is one other NFS camp closer to the north rim but it is smaller and might be full. 

We rested until the sun was almost down and are now up and doing computer stuff. Tomorrow we will decide if we leave the Dragon here or try the other NFS site, or maybe even the Canyon site which might just have room since it will be Sunday. 

It might be colder than last night and we have fixed up a fleece wrap around for Rachel with Nannies 7 watt flat heater under her home. We have the red bag and temperatures around 50 won’t phase us.   hb

Sunday, August 11, 2013

Rachel looked happy this morning with her temperature in the mid seventies.  We did the red bag thing, so were quite toasty all night.

We ate breakfast at the Jacob Lake Inn, a full service emporium with a sandwich bar, a dining room, with decent art and fine Indian rugs on the wall, a good gift shop, and cookies.  We had a traditional breakfast and after the horror of the second worse meal of my life at the Chinese restaurant in Kanab, I felt like buying one of their $3900 rugs to say thank you.  Our young waitress was very cheerful and accommodating and even provided us with a map marked with her favorite places.  

Now that I have food out of my literary system, I must tell you about the storm that spawned rain in sheets and hail the size of small peas.  This was really kind of fun to watch.  We have a picture of the hail on LC and she was just covered.

So, after the fine meal we were ready to head to the famous North Rim, dodging rain all the way.  It was a nice drive even though there were dead trees for several miles.  These were caused by a pretty horrific forest fire.  I had been trying to get a picture of the snow white Aspen trees against the dark green of dense conifers.  I had been calling them Birch trees; actually, I had forgotten all about Aspens.

It was a long drive of about 47 or 48 miles to get up to the area with the visitors center.  This was also supposed to have a view of the canyon. What did we find?  We found civilization in its worse form ……parking problems and congestion.  We wanted to ask someone manning the information counter about going to a good place to see the canyon.  There was a pack of people two deep all the way around the counter.  “Let’s go!,” says Ham.  I politely reminded him that there were views from the picnic areas along the road on the way in.  So we found this to be true and took gobs and gobs of pictures thinking that was the best we could do.

When we left the picnic areas Hammie wanted to know if I wanted to drive the twenty plus miles to Imperial Point.  “Nah,” I replied; “It’s too far.”  Hammie said, in no uncertain terms,”We drove two thousand miles to get here to see this canyon, and by gosh, we’re going to see it.” Was I going to argue with that when I was just thinking of his tired body?  I don’t think so.

This was a road that was supposed to have wild life, but did we even see a deer? Well, Ham saw one.  I missed it, as usual.

There weren’t very many at the end of the road.  What a pleasure after the area we had just left.  The first glimpse of the canyon took our breath away.  Even with the mist from the all day rain, the color was glorious.  We walked the short path to the viewpoint and were spell bound.  The colors were soft and muted and I think much more beautiful than they would have been in bright sun light.

Of course, that is just a personal opinion.  We both decided that this view of the canyon was much more impressive than the one over at the south rim.  I wonder how long it will be before all those people at the visitor’s center/lodge area come streaming into the Imperial Point area.  Arggghhh! 

Hamilton finally consented to let me drive part of the way back to Jacob Lake.  We had sandwiches at the bar and we could have done better if we knew how to interpret the menu description.  Again, the waitress was perky and cute.  While we were eating it poured again.

Rachel will have to have her fleecy wrap again tonight.  I’m going to finish this then go to bed, I think.  nl

Monday, August 12, 2013

It was another cold night at almost 8000 feet in Jacob Lake. We did ok with the red bag and blue blanket. Rachel had her fleece wrap on and Nannie’s 7 watt heater running all night, that’s two nights with only about 45 minutes of generator time. We went to the Jacob Lake Inn for breakfast. The counter was full so we ended up in the dining room where things might be a wee bit more expensive. Our breakfasts might have been good if the hash browns were a little burnt and the eggs warmer. It was not quite up to yesterday’s standard. Since it was a bit busier maybe the cook was harried. 

It was time to hook LC up and batten down the hatches and hit the road. We were heading back to Fredonia and route 389/59/9 that would take us to I-15, lower elevations, and intolerable 100 degree heat. As we drove we had beautiful views of red rocks, not the same red rocks as in and around Sedona, but some were as red or redder. I think they were the Vermillion Cliffs or a precursor to them. Since we were at almost 8000 feet going to 5000 feet there were some notable downgrades. Most were 5% to 6% with a curvy 8% one just before reaching Hurricane, Utah. I’ve been locking the overdrive out on the 5-6% grades and we usually don’t need to brake on them. The 8% grade required dropping into second and a bit of braking when coming up on a sharp curve. 40 MPH seems OK going down in second but when climbing the engine really revs up, wish the Ford had a tach.

Before reaching Hurricane the road dipped down into Arizona and returned to Utah. In Arizona just south of the Utah border we went through Colorado City. We had been told by the host at the Junction Camp about a city that harbored polygamist Mormons which had made the national news several times over some conflict or another dealing with polygamy. He said many of the houses were not completed because when they were the owners would be taxed and they were quite happy with the unfinished look to beat the taxes. Of the multiple wives only the first was a legal marriage and the others were just church marriages. All the wives collected food stamps, and other welfare payments. We drove through the town and sure enough there were many without the finished siding or other things that would have made for a completely finished house. We saw several women and a few children and they were all dressed in the fashion of  pioneer women of over one hundred years ago and has subsequently been called “prairie style”

Also along the way we went to Pipe Spring National Monument. We just went to the interpretive center, read all the display signs and saw the movie about how the Kaibab Paiutes were forced practically into extinction by the Mormons and the Federal government. The story is the same as that of all the American Indian tribes when the new white settlers were heading west to enact the Manifest Destiny. (Historians have for the most part agreed that there are three basic themes to Manifest Destiny. 1. The special virtues of the American people and their institutions; 2. America's mission to redeem and remake the world in the image of America; 3. A divine destiny under God's direction to accomplish this wonderful task).

Between that and the Mormon plans to take over the world, the primitive natives did not stand a chance. I don’t want to argue about it but it seems very hypocritical of our country to intervene in the so called Manifest Destiny of other countries who try to do what we have done in the last 400 years.

Enough of that; back to our trip. We finally reached Hurricane where we thought we would find a Passport America camp site and could camp for half price. It seems it is part of some resort community, if it exists at all. We found the WalMart but being early with many hours until sundown and a temperature around 100 we searched for a campground with electric hookup. Leaving Wally’s parking lot Nan Lou saw what looked like a campground for RVs. We drove a few hundred feet and turned in to one of these things called a resort. Back home it would be called a trailer park. The office was closed but there were two signs directing overnight campers to call a number for site information. I did, one didn’t have pull thrus and one did. Chuck came in his golf cart and led me to a nice level pull thru site going foe $30 per night. Chuck was an interesting 83 year old veteran who had been a mechanic who worked on B-29s, namely the Enola Gay that dropped the A-bomb on Hiroshima that led to the end of WWII in the Pacific back in 1945.

Boy, are you ever getting your history in today’s log. The first guy told me that he managed either 15 or 50 sites for a Florida investor. I guess Chuck was doing the same for another investor. I wonder if it was like that because the “Buy an RV Lot Scheme” didn’t go over that well. One never knows the mysterious ways of the investing world.  

The sun has set and the night might be tolerable. I put the red bag away but I just heard Nan Lou say she’s cold even after she raised the AC temperature.      hb  

Ham forgot to tell you that Chuck was also a person who could see faces and things in inanimate objects.  See I am not alone.  This wonderful gift is called pareidolia.  Hamilton will show me the squaw giving birth on the far rocky hill along with someone’s nipple.  We have entertained ourselves on long drives seeing critters in the clouds.  nl

Tuesday, August 13, 2013

Happy birthday Nan Lou!!!!! I love you!!!!!  “Awwwww!” said Nanook of the North.

Whatever the temperature was last night, it was just right. We set about leaving and when I was checking out the tow Chuck stopped by. I was going to ask for his email but being busy with lights and shaking the tow bar I forgot. Being only three miles from I-15 and only 10 AM I thought we might to Mickey’s but by the time we found one down the road several St. Georges exits it was 10:27 and there was no place to park. BUT, there was a Denny’s a block away and we headed there. They had a place to park and we had a very good breakfast feast with real bold coffee, at least that’s what they called it. This St. George is a busy built up area; I think I read somewhere online that it is one of the fastest growing areas in the states. Why? I do not know because only the devil would choose to live in this heat. 

On the road again, we headed for Las Vegas, not to stop, but to get by as quickly as possible. The desert mountains were very pretty and the road wound through cuts and natural canyons as it dropped several thousand feet to Vegas. We could see the tall buildings of Vegas from about 12 miles away through the desert haze with several dust devils whirling in the distance. There was one in the wide median and I saw it blowing sand and all sorts of debris across our lanes. When we reached it the mini tornado like wind really whipped the Dragon around.

I-15 went through the middle of Las Vegas and we had a pretty good glimpse of all the giant casinos. NL even spotted the EyeFull tower. We stopped here a couple of times quite a few years ago and I would say that it is practically unrecognizable now. Traffic was heavy but the road was easy to follow there being no other interstates to deal with. Soon we were through the city and on our way into more desert land with mostly rolling hills and long steady upgrades and downgrades as we zipped along. Our half of the road had three lanes with the outside one for slowpokes either struggling to go up or keeping their speed in check going down. Both before and after Vegas some of the rises were so steep the Dragon needed second gear keeping our speed about 40-45 MPH. Not too bad though.

Planning ahead I had found Calico Ghost Town near Barstow, California. The phone lady was quite nice and said there was no problem with just driving in and finding a level pull through site. A while back I saw it online and it sounded pretty good with several restaurants to choose from. When we reached in the mid to late afternoon it really did look like a ghost town area, all sandy and rocky brown with a genuine decrepit look about it. The campground looked rather ghosty too, as in abandoned. There were plenty of “level” pull through sites and we had a hard time trying them all to find one level enough. I even went down a dead end road which meant we had to unhook LC. We had thought we would do that anyway and maybe stay here two days. There were no attendants and I believe the phone lady did say something about someone coming around to collect the rent. From the looks of things I assume they will because every $35 counts in this dismal ghost town of a county park.

We drove up to the so called town itself, parked and walked up a long but slight road that was blocked to vehicle traffic and got a look at many of the reproduction ghost town buildings, all of which were closed. I wondered if it was for good or just for the night. Later when we drove 3.8 miles to eat at Peggy Sue’s diner we were told it was all in business but the season was drawing to a close, ergo, less people around. By the way, we were doing all this in 108 degree heat. It has been over 100 degrees for most of our trip today.

Back from Peggy Sue’s we are resting and cooling down. It is dark now. There were several more RVs show up while we were gone.

OK, the log is dome except I have questions and opinions to throw out. St Geo and Las Veg are couple of the fastest growing cities in the US. I can only wonder why. I guess the gambling industry and related stuff at LV brings in people but personally I would be looking for a job some place where is isn’t 108 degrees for months on end. Housing is expensive and the cost of living is high in both places. I have no idea what the draw to St G is. In both places there were mile after mile of housing developments. I relate living in either place to living at the gates of Hell. Not speaking of debauchery, but speaking of heat. I guess we all have our own idea of what is great and what is yucky. Perhaps I say no more and slink off into the hopefully cooling night.    hb  

Walking down the main street of Calico, the ghost town, for about a ¾ of a block turned my face beet red and I thought, “This is it I’m going to die of heat “prostitution.”  When we drove down to Peggy Sue’s I washed my face in cold water and it still stayed red.  Ham’s doesn’t do that.  We loved the old movie memorabilia on the walls, the life sized Elvis playing his guitar, and really good sandwiches. I am not too thrilled by the ghost town.  I think I’ll turn in. nl  

PS  Ham gave me a copy of Benjamin Hoff’s The Tao of Pooh for my birthday.  What a surprise.  It is such a great little book and I have wanted it “forever.” Thank you, Hammie; smoocheroonie, smoocheroonie.

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

No one had come around for the camp fee and we thought we were out of there Scott free.  Nope!  We were in the front seat and Ham was just about ready to leave the parking space and here came the ranger in his pick up.  Drat!  The dear man gave us a senior discount and so it was only thirty dollars.  Hooray for being old.

We went to Peggy Sues for breakfast and sat in a booth by the front counter.  Ham had his usual omelet and I had toast and bacon.  The advantage to this seating was we could watch all the people filing in and what a motley bunch of people there were to watch.  Poor Ham sat with his back to the entrance so he mostly saw backs and rear ends.  I became very fascinated with walks.  There were all kinds of walks mostly from the men, surprisingly.  Some of them did admirable jobs of  folding arms across chest, moving arms from side to side, springing up on tiptoes and somehow moving in a forward direction while body parts seemed to be doing their own little dance.  An impressive thing to watch!

We drove ten, yes ten, miles down the road to the Shady Lane RV Campground in Barstow.  The host drove us around to a site which we didn’t like because of it not being level.  Finally, we were happy to put the Dragon up on blocks because we are hugged up against a permanent mobile home and a wonderful big tree. We were in at least partial shade all day. Hamilton has such work unhitching LC and hooking up the Dragon; and, this time having to put it up on blocks to level it.  I watched a guy come in next to us with a trailor and he fiddled around a lot (I couldn’t tell what he was doing) and he was at least twenty years younger than Hammie.

We drove into Barstow and relieved our account of some cash at the happy little Chase bank on the corner.  Then, it was time to use Siri’s skill to get us to Wal-Mart which she did record time.  But it was a disappointment to find it was not a SuperCenter.  We strolled and tried to make do with what they had.  By the time we returned to the car in the  102 degree temperature, we were both completely pooped. Finding a place to put all our purchases was like doing a jigsaw puzzle.  Now we really were pooped.  

Somewhere in this afternoon period, we found time to pig out on Dove Bites and Fritos.  Now that was good eatin’.  We hit the sack for a rest.  I forced my sleepy eyes to stay open so I would be able to sleep tonight.  Ham went to sleep almost immediately.

After nap time we played a very close Scrabble game and then decided to go into Barstow to look around a bit and get something to eat.  It looks like a very poor town with a grand ethnic mix.  The McDonald’s was in something called the station and the seating was in old fashioned train cars.  The station had sections with sort of booths that held everything from jerky to toys to a Panda Express and much, much more.  We are the so so food at Mickey’s and by the time we left it was full dark.

We got a bit confused about how to return and somehow ended up at Wally’s again.  By then it was time to wake Siri and put her to work again.  She did an admirable job of getting us back to Shady Lane.

While we were gone, I couldn’t find my IPhone and we knew it had to be in the Dragon because I hadn’t used it while gone.  When we arrived home the search started immediately.  Ham kept calling and we could hear the phone ring but we couldn’t find it anywhere.

This went on for eleven calls and probably took ten or fifteen minutes.  With my doctored up hearing loss with the aids, I can’t tell what direction a noise is coming from. We knew it was in the Dragon, we could hear the darn thing ring.  Finally, Ham walked toward me and I was able to tell the noise got louder.  I asked him if the phone were in his pocket.  He looked and sure enough out came the pink IPhone.  It was a relief but hysterically funny.  Ha Ha, says Ham.

Evans called a few minutes ago and it seems Tachou is in labor and is in the hospital.  So, all plans (what plans?) are on hold until we hear from him tomorrow.  Evans birth came very early too so perhaps this one is going to take after him. Since we don’t have to wait around weeks for the birth, perhaps we will be leaving this hot land sooner than we thought.  That’s all folks.  nl

Thursday, August 15, 2013

This might be tomorrow, I’m not sure since it is something like three days later. We got a call from Evans in the morning telling us that Tachou had delivered an eight pound seven ounce perfect boy. We already knew his name was to be Logan but then in a group message Evans announced his full name of Logan Hamilton Brown. That was quite a surprise but it blew his plans for an ultimate in person surprise. 

Then it was time to head to Nannie’s campground at Table Mountain near Wrightwood, California. I-15 was very busy but the trip was without incident. We found the local roads and up and up we went through Wrightwood and finally to Table Mountain. Nannie had a site for us right across from her site and we set up trying to get level but we still need to do more.

Nannie showed up and we reunited. Tomorrow she goes back to work as the campground host and we will head for Cedars Sinai hospital 92 miles away in the heart of Los Angeles to visit Tachou and Logan. All was well at the hospital and we stayed at Evans and Tachou’s house along with her mother Marie, sister Gina and Gina’s three kids.     hb Yes it was a surprise spending the night at Evans’ house but it had to be done because of the problems LC was having.  For some reason we brought a change of clothes but no night wear and no tooth brush and/or comb.  Evans fixed Ham up with pj bottoms and Marie kindly loaned me a nighty.

Parker was sound asleep when we turned in and he didn’t wake until the alarm went off at seven the next morning.  That was pretty hard for me to believe.  I think our kids didn’t sleep through the night until they were thirteen.  I exaggerate, but….! nl

Friday, August 16, 2013

I told Evans about an electric problem LC was having and he set up time at his friend John’s auto repair garage for tomorrow morning.

We drove around a little trying to see if LC’s problem would surface but it didn’t.

Evans took us to Parker’s soccer lesson.  Watching a two year old trying to learn soccer was a hoot.

Saturday, August 17, 2013

We got up at 7 to get LC from John. He went over it but could not get anything to act up. He said the dome light problem was due to some dome light module which they couldn’t get for several days. I will continue to use my master switch under the front fender.

By then it was time to head back to the mountain. We took I-10 out from LA and not the same route we used coming in. It involved the 210, the 605, route 60 and then a little on the 10. The outbound route was better than the inbound. There were a few minor traffic slowdowns until we started NE on I-15. Traffic soon slowed to 10 MPH for miles. We finally passed a burnt out semi which still had some emergency vehicles around it. The tractor was a complete meltdown as was the front quarter of the trailer.

Soon there was another slowdown. We could see heavy smoke ahead and when we reached it there was a brush fire. A few miles later there was another but it was worse and the fire trucks were coming. We drove past it in the second lane and we could feel the fire’s heat. After that all was smooth and speedy.

The trip up the mountain on route 138 and route 2 was fine with a little bit of traffic coming from Wrightwood where they had some kind of car show.

Nannie cooked up a fine bratwurst dinner, we talked for awhile, then went to bed. No reading, we were beat.   hb

Sunday, August 18, 2013

It was near 10 when we stirred and gave Nannie a call for breakfast. We ate and cleaned up. Nannie went to make her host rounds.

Nannie helped me get the Dragon more level. It was difficult. Then I tried to get her generator running. Part of the fuel hose was cracked keeping the fuel pump from sucking fuel. I replaced that short piece. It still isn’t running right and might not charge. It needs some professional help as in tune-up. hb

I was so tired I took a nap which was completely unusual for me.  It seemed very hot in the Dragon but was much cooler outside.

Rachel gave us a scare by being all drab and hiding even though she ate.  Ham thought she got cold last night but I thought it might be the altitude.  Makes sense.    nl

Ham and Nannie worked for a long time trying to get the Dragon level.  It seems it is bad for the refrigerator to be unlevel so this was worrying Hamilton a lot.  I walked around looking at big trees. We all hugged some.

Nan Lou is again providing the intrepid travelers with dinner.  We are having something Alfredo.  Yummy.     nl

Monday, August 19, 2013

It is all a blank except Nannies friend Ben came up from the low land and we all sat and visited for awhile. It might have been a day of rest.    hb

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

We went to Wrightwood for breakfast and brought some back to Nannie and Ben. We also stopped at the grocery for some needed things. There was another wildfire over the peaks to the south. The breakfast lady said many fire fighters live here and they really put these fires out quickly.

Another friend of Nannies, Todd came up today; he does maintenance here at the campground. Nan Lou said he teaches Tai Chi and she went for a refresher course at Nannies camp host camp site.

There was a group effort with Nan Lou and Nannie fixing up a fine chicken dinner for all of us. I think Ben did the pasta. I did nothing but eat. 

The sunset was very nice, the full moon was extra nice and very bright.    hb  

Wednesday, August 21, 2013

We went into the little town of Wrightwood for breakfast.  Just the two of us.  The Moose Café was cutely decorated and the food was good.  It was good because our fare has been lacking somewhat recently.  Our breakfasts were more than adequate.

I found a cute purse and it was forty percent off  which I didn’t know when I was ooohing and aaahing over it.  A mighty fine buy for something like twenty seven dollars.

Ham drove around the small town and checked his favorite Zillow site every time we came to a house for sale.  OK ones on the smallish side were around $170,,000.  The most expensive one was somewhere in the 300 thousand bracket.  Too steep for us Midwesterners.

Ham needed to go to the Hardware store and a couple of other places and he took care of those chores.  We then felt the need to rest and it was very nice doing so.

We perused the only used book store and Beverly of Beverly Books had Bodacious prices on each and every book.  No more of that.

We did get a kick out of the huge ponderosa pines right in the middle of the street.  It really was nice that they were saved.

We went to a little restaurant on the corner that I think was called Evergreen or something like that.  The town had just had a classic car show and the ceiling and side walls were covered with car stuff.  Our nice waitress told us that these items were changed with the season and/or holiday.  It was cute.  My grilled cheese sandwich was so so but Hammie had a giant club sandwich and he gave it a thumbs up.

It was then bed time.  We have to get up early to go to Evans house.  nl

Thursday, August 22, 2013

Today and tomorrow are Nan Lou’s days off.  She had a job interview so she was long gone when we got stirring.  We started throwing things together to get ready to go down the mountain.  I fixed the warmed up oatmeal from a few days ago along with fruit and a stale donut or two and we had the usual Dragon breakfast.  It was pretty healthy though.

We decided to bundle up Rachel and take her with us because of her sensitivity to the cold.  Ham put her tank into his big tool box and she was ready for a new adventure. He took Big Pines Highway in the opposite direction from any we have taken before.  Believe it or not it was a lo—oong, lo—ong way down the mountain.  It turned into a high desert; then just a plain desert.  It was a very interesting drive and I am so glad we tried this route.  The traffic was not nearly as horrendous and the trip up the mountain.

We came to small town Palmdale and were speechless by the mansion type houses in this tiny town.  I just don’t understand CA real estate at all.

Siri took us through the heart of Los Angeles with lots of right and left turns.  We probably could have found the house easier our selves.  We held LH and listened to Parker’s voice then went to the sushi place on Wilshire and had a lovely bento box lunch.

Later we went to the park with Evans, Parker, Matthew, and William.  The last two are Gina’s kids.  By the time the kids wore themselves out, I was worn out too.  

I don’t know where we are sleeping.  Evans said we could sleep behind the sofa on the futon and he just came in saying we could have his bed.  Who knows?  I sure don’t.  But I DO know I’m ready for bed.  nl  

PS  I was afraid for Rachel since it got so hot in the sun in the back of LC.  In true Rachel fashion, she was a chipper as could be when she finally got out of her tool box.  Parker was enthralled with her and Matthew wasn’t quite as smitten but he seemed to like watching her too.  For as long as two year olds can watch anything.  That’s all for real.  nl

Friday, August 23, 2013

We awoke early and showered at Evans’ house. He had taken off very early for his job and we didn’t see him at all. I went to Einstein’s for bagels for all and by then it was time to gather our stuff, head for the JCC to see Parker’s swim lesson and then head for the campground. We bid Tachou, Gina, William, and Mathew goodbye and went in search of Marie who took parker for his lesson before we were ready to leave. His lesson was early so by the time we got there the lesson was over. We did get a chance to say good bye to Marie and Parker though.  

After the farewell we programmed the route to VASA in the phone and went there to see how the roads/traffic was. It wasn’t too bad but I still want to drive LC into LA and not the Dragon when we deliver our VASA on Monday. Then we programmed the route back to the campground and away we went. We took the 10 to the 15 to the routes 138 and 2 into Wrightwood then the Table mountain road to the campsite. On the way we made stops at Target and Starbucks in a Rancho Cucamonga mall then at the grocery in Wrightwood. Oh yes, we picked up some BBQ chicken at BBQ fast food place like the one we liked in Hawaii. It served the two of us and Nannie for dinner. 

Reviewing the two different routes into LA, the northern one through the mountains, dessert, Palmdale and then south into LA compared with the southern route which descends the mountains in a southeasterly direction to I-15 and then I-10, I find it a six of one half a dozen of the other choice. The northern route has more wild scenery for a longer way and even part of the way on I-5 is also scenic, although on a busy road. The southern route has a shorter scenic drive and then you are on the 10 which is ugly at its best. It is about 5 miles shorter and 40 minutes faster, but a bit more annoying.  

Then it was off to bed about 9, we were rather beat.   hb   

Saturday, August 24, 2013

The three of us had a bagel breakfast in the Dragon.  Ham and I drove around a bit in Nan Lou’s territory.  We were trying to find her doing her job, but we had no luck.  After that we hung around doing nothing waiting for Evans to arrive.  

Ham and I met him at the grocery store and his Toyota had overheated coming up the hills to Wrightwood.  So, while I ran in to get a bag of ice, there was a lot of standing around perusing under the hood of the vehicle as only a couple of men can do.

Finally, everything cooled off enough to go up the mountain to the campground.  Upon arrival it was hustle and bustle getting the tent set up. Nan Lou moved her car over by the shed (on the last turn of her loop).  This gave Evans room to park beside the Lazy Daze.

Parker had slept all the way and seemed ready to go. Nan Lou started cooking as she has done a lot since we have been here.  By the time we ate it was dark.  There was no spectacular sunset this evening.  We had beanie weenie for supper.  Evans had rice and beans.

I went in to wash the dishes and found a sink full of dirty ones from several nights ago.  I had to ask Ham a question and he then galloped in to help wash up.  That was a really big help since washing dishes with little water is difficult, I think.

Then it was time to sit around “ye olde camp fire.”  Nannie’s fire pit is huge.  Evans started the fire and we looked up to see flames soaring.  Nan Lou said something like, “So much for the 24 inch flame rule that I’m supposed to enforce.”  I said something like, “Yerk!”  The flames finally died down before Nannie was cited by the campround Nazi, Ari.’

So we all sat around, except for Parker who enthusiastically played around.  It kept getting colder and colder.  I had only the one jacket while Ham had two sweat shirts and we were still cold.  Aging really thins the blood.  The sparks flying twenty feet in the air didn’t seem to bother anyone except me.  I was afraid one would hit Parker in the eye and/or the pine needles would ignite and we would be the cause of the latest forest fire.

Finally Parker ran down, Nan Lou doused the fire with buckets of water, Evans got the baby ready for bed, and we went home to the Dragon.  It was cold.  Rachel had to be bundled up in fleece and I put on my flannel long sleeved and legged jammies.  It took a long time to get warm.  Unbeknownst to me Ham was up in the night for an hour or so and he was freezing when he came back to bed.

As far as I’m concerned this finishes this report.  Hamilton can have at it if he thinks of something I’ve missed or a comment that he wants to make.    nl  

Sunday, August 25, 2013 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOUUUU, HAMMIE!  It was about eight AM when I heard a peck peck  peck on the door.  Since I had on my long johns, I felt comfortable letting Evans and Parker in who was saying ‘Happy Birthday, Grampa.”  I corrected him and directed him to the bed room where Hamilton appeared to be sound asleep.  The little one climbed on the bed and cheerfully woke him up.

Evans had cooked oatmeal for breakfast on his tiny one burner camping stove.  So that’s what we had for breakfast.  It was topped with Nan Lou’s Almond milk that has only 30 calories per cup. The terrible two ran around some more getting into more dirt than is humanly possible.  Evans had more bags and containers than I have ever seen to store things.  We sat a bit and it was time for him to head home.  Nan Lou went off to do her job and Ham and I hit the bed.  I read and Ham took a nice long nap.

We discussed the evening meal and decided Nannie would go with Ham. She is ordering the pizza and Hammie is again trying to take a portrait of Rachel.  That’s it from me.    nl  

I’m back.  We ate the pizza.  Ham put out some very old sweet cherries and when he checked there was only one left. Nan Lou is sitting in our only chair doing work. It got very cold very quickly.  I am already in my flannel pjs again.  I am finished for good now. nl    

Monday, August 26, 2013 

We set the alarm for eight which is early for us.  We were out of the Dragon, rarin’ to go, before nine.

The trip down the mountain is long, but really beautiful.  It goes from the conifer woods, through  the bushy scrubs

and finally into the arid desert with lots of Joshua trees.

Eureka! There was a McDonald’s at a tiny town called Littlerock.  Each of us had a McMuffin Breakfast and 

The egg McMuffin was one of the best we have had anywhere.  Surprises lurk in the most unexpected places.

On we went following Siri’s excellent directions.  Ham, the pilot, will have to describe route and traffic tie ups.

My memory of such things escapes me.  I have figured out that traffic will toodle along and all at once it will start

to crawl.  So with each change of highway, it seems to be mandated that there must be at least one traffic tie up.

Now for the rest of that, Hammie can fill in the details.


We were almost an hour early reaching Vasa’s place.  He and Ham seemed to hit it right off, chattering and waving 

arms about.  When all was said and done, it will cost about $200 for the repair work.  Honestly, when they uncovered

the piece, I was surprised to find it looked like it was in really bad condition.  Soooo it seemed that it couldn’t be

finished (or even started) while we waited.  Maybe, just maybe, it might be ready Friday.  So here we are for the 
week.

Since we weren’t laden with the sculpture going back, we made a quick decision to drop in on Tachou and Baby 2, 

who is Logan.   And while we were at it we thought we would pick up Nannie’s Vasa which we did, with Marie’s 
help.

Off we went back to the campground and finding out that my opinion of Traffic Tie Up on Each Leg of Journey was

Holding true.  I forgot to mention I had been sitting in the back seat….the only place for me….and I was getting 

Pretty tired.  We stopped at the Golden Valley exit and found, to Ham’s delight, there was a Panera’s along with a

Target.  We ate Panera’s fare then hit Target for necessities. I really hated to return to my back seat but there was 
no alternative.  We were on our way again.

Up the mountain, we went; and, it was not as difficult as I thought with peppy LC charging right along. The cool 

evergreen trees were a welcome sight. My comment was something like “Arrrrgh!” as I unfolded from the back 

seat and tried to take a step.  We were not long out of bed.  And we both slept pretty well.

Now Ham will do his magic describing any traffic situation or anything else that he wants to.  I’m finished with my 
part.  nl

I have not much to say about the traffic. Nan Lou hit the nail on the head with the remark about tie ups at each intersection. I think choosing the best route is finding one road that goes to your destination without the merging of other hiways.    hb  

Tuesday, August 27, 2013 

Fit is fnny how the events of a day ago are so soon forgotten. I do remember Nannie helping to move her VASA from LC to the Dragon and totally re-doing the back storage to hold two VASAs if we do get ours to take home and not have it shipped.

Ben stopped on his way home from a lightening hunt in Arizona and brought roasted chicken, mac and cheese, and salad fixings for dinner. We ate well.

That was about it for the day.    Hb

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Nan Lou and I were up about 9 and soon Nannie and Ben were up so we all went to the Grizzly for one of their very good breakfasts. Then Nannie directed us to Inspiration Point on route 2 several miles from the campground. The views were great from the 7300 foot point. Then back to the camp where Nannie and Ben prepared to go to his place just north of LA.

We were tired and read for a while, possibly even napped a bit and then got up to nose around the little cabins the forest service has and go for ice cream in Wrightwood. After stuffing down a malt and bowl of ice cream we drove out Lone Pine Canyon Road which was downhill all the way to route 138 and the neat rocks called Mormon Rocks or something like that. From there we drove to Phelen to check out the Laundromat before heading back home for a left over supper much like last night’s.

Hey Nan Lou, can you think of all I missed?   Hb

Thursday, August 29, 2013 

Nannie was still down the mountain on this her second day off.  So we lazed in bed, sleeping off and on, much later than usual. I fixed breakfast of cereal and yoghurt for Ham.

Then we went to Wrightwood and took a different street and discovered a subdivision of newer and ritzier houses.  They did keep the individuality that makes the tiny town so charming. We made this trip because the generator had used up all the gas and we needed more post haste.  We borrowed Nannie’s gas can and off we went.  On the way back Ham asked Ari if he could borrow hers.  She nicely accommodated us.  So on the next trip we could get ten gallons.  Fifteen gallons did the trip and we again had a generator.

I wanted to stop in the antique store that I could see from the gas station.  Everything was quite expensive as is everything in California.  However the shop was one of the more interesting that we have seen in a long time.  There was a great variety of many different kinds and ages of merchandise.  We have begun to expect nothing more than booths after booths dealing with forties and fifties glassware.

It was time for a snack.  The Cinnamon Bakery where we had breakfast the other day was closed but hadn’t locked their door. So, we finagled a bagel for Ham and a muffin for me.  We sat at an outside tiny table watching the cars go by on the main street and it was all very pleasant.

We filled our gas tank and the generator worked.  Hooray! The borrowed  can was returned and we felt like we were in business again.

I noticed Rachel had a spot on her nose and Ham said she always had them on her gills.  I panicked while Mr. Cool said she might have lived out her life. She has been a pain since it gets so cold at night.  She has to be bundled up and then we (Hammie) has to be careful that she doesn’t fry from overheat.

I called NL and she nicely volunteered to go to PetSmart and get medicine. Hamilton had thoroughly cleaned her tank and her white spot miraculously disappeared. Hmmm!  I still say she acts all logy and not her cheerful self however.

We went to bed early and read and that’s it for me.  nl  

Friday, August 30, 2013

Yep, today’s the day.  The day when , if Vasa is on the ball, we go get our sculpture.  The problem is always traffic in this neck of the woods and this is the Friday that starts the Labor Day weekend.

Ham waited until ten then called and talked to someone who knew of the piece and said it was finished.  So girding our loins for what was to come, we sallied forth.  Actually there was just a crawly period or two but it was VERY slow going.  I mean slow.  It took us four hours to get to Vasa’s studio on Exposition  Place.  Because the poor thing was in such bad condition,  he charged us fifty dollars more which ended up being $250.  I am sorry to admit that it was worth it.  I can’t say that the wear and tear on Ham was worth it.  

Vasa found that the piece was made in 1978 and was sold to a gallery in FL where we bought it from a Thrift shop for $100.  A bargain at half the price.  I have looked at it and the horrible deep scratches all these years and it just bugged me.  So all I have to do now is keep in scratch free.

Ham got leg cramps and I had a sore neck and of course with everyone getting off work and heading home the traffic was even worse than we had seen before.  At least it kept moving.  I for one will not complain about Glendale and/or Br. Ripple again.

We stretched our legs at the Golden Valley Road shopping mall.  The decaf soy latte really hit the spot.

By now the traffic had thinned out nicely.  Ham got gas at Littlerock because it had the kind of pumps that he likes.

The sunset was gorgeous (behind us) as we went back up the mountain.  We saw rainbows on our way  here and with the sunset it was a very beautiful evening.  It made up for our aching bodies, a bit.

Nan Lou had goop ready for us when we got back to what we are now considering home.  It tasted really good and even better she did all the work, poor thing.  It’s time for bed.  I’ll bet that #@%%&&* spider that just tried to crawl up my arm is going to get into bed with me.  Who knows if we will have to go back tomorrow to see Evans.  We’ll face that in the morning.  We would like to see him before we leave, however.  Good night!  nl  

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Awake at 9:00 we had a mighty good NL breakfast before starting the days chores which included restoring LC to a passenger vehicle from its temporary service as a truck. And that meant moving the restored VASA into the Dragon. I couldn’t do it myself and Nannie had gone about her chores in the campground. Luckily Mark, Ari’s hubby, drove by and I asked him for help. He not only helped, he picked up the wrapped up VASA and carried it to the Dragon’s back storage and put it right in place. I have become such a wimp I have trouble cracking a hard boiled egg. 

Later we read until Nannie came with the good news she had been hired by the RV resort in Indio, California. We celebrated by getting a strange pizza and fake Merlo for dinner.

The place is almost 100% full with Labor Day celebrants. There are two large groups in Nannies Apache area. One is near us and appears to be all Spanish speaking. They have been playing different games all day with a few group gatherings that might be talks by a religious leader. All in all for a group of teens and some pre teens they are pretty quiet and much more civilized than other groups we had next to us.

Tomorrow we are headed for the 90 mile drive into LA for a last visit with Evans and Tachou. We will probably stay the night and return on Monday. If I haven’t covered it all, NL will fill in the blanks.   hb  

Sunday, September 1, 2013

It was about 9:30 when we got up and had a quick breakfast. Nannie came over as we finished and she told us about some campers who had given her some trouble when she tried to keep them quiet. Nan Lou readied all our things needed for an overnight at Evans and Tachou’s house and we headed out sometime around 11. We took route 2, the Angeles Crest Highway to La Canada and Flintridge where we could connect with the city freeways and streets to get to Evans place.

The drive along route 2 was really nice with great views in all directions. I think we reached the high point of the route of somewhere around 8000 feet in 15 or 20 miles and then it was downhill most of the way. I think it is one of the nicest mountain drives we’ve done. Traffic was very light but there were a few cars and motorcycles that came up behind us going a bit faster than we were. There were plenty of turnouts and when I pulled over for them some were even polite enough to acknowledge with a light blink or hand wave. The bikers gave us the wave more than the car drivers. The total drive through the mountains was about 55 or 60 miles and took well over two hours. Nan Lou can describe the beauty better than I and if you ask nicely she will do so.

Near the end of the mountain section we saw the skyscrapers of LA or Century City way off in the distance but never could get a decent photo of them. When we reached civilization we stopped at a Panera’s for a wee snack and to find the route to Evens house. I was expecting the usual madhouse of LA traffic but both the freeway part of route 2 and the city streets were remarkably clear. We went through Echo Park where Evans first lived in LA even though I don’t think we were very near his neighborhood and finally reached a familiar area and put aside the phone map and routing from good old Siri.

We were greeted by Tachou, Parker and Evans with balloons and a giant birthday card from all of them. Marie cooked up a salmon dinner and much to our surprise followed up with a birthday cake for both of us.

After dinner we sat out back and enjoyed the cooling evening before going off to bed. Guid nicht.   hb It really doesn’t matter a hill o beans but the birthday dinner was all for Hamilton.  It was originally supposed to be a party to announce baby Logan’s middle name, Hamilton.  It was nice that the ceremony went on even though Evans spilled the beans.

The thing about the mountain drive called Angeles Crest Highway was, of course the wonderful views of the mountain tops, but slope came right down to the highway.  On the other side the drop was many, many feet to the canyons.  The road went through several eco zones.  It was very tiring for Hammie with the constant curves.  But it truly was a great drive.  nl  Oh yes, the brown back yard is very pleasant with comfortable chairs and a tarp for shade.  We sat out until well after dark enjoying the almost perfect temperature.

Monday, September 2, 2013

Evans and Tachou gave up their bed so we could be more comfortable.  It is very high and I just learned it was a Temperpedic mattress.  The window was open right behind our heads but the temperature was warm and we mostly slept without covers.

Ham ran off to Einstein’s to get bagels for everyone and coffee for us and other coffee drinkers.  Evans made one of his green smoothies and that filled out breakfast quite nicely. Despite drinking green liquid for breakfast, they taste remarkably good.

We fiddled with Logan a while and, sure enough, he has learned to cry loudly to make himself known. He has had quite a growth spurt since his birth.

It was time to say good-bye.  Off we went, tension free.  On our way back we took a small detour to check out Evans old Echo Park neighborhood. The vegetation had grown so the house on Wallace was just about invisible. Then we stopped to snack.  Where else?  The same Panera’s.  It was fun people watching a different clientele than Castleton.  These Asian woman really know how to doll up.  I got a kick out of them.  Then it was back on the Crest Highway.  We took it easy this time stopping often to enjoy the wonderful views and Ham patiently helped me with my latest quest to take photos of tall trees with their roots exposed.

We took a rest stop at a forest visitor’s center but they didn’t know as much about the trees as we did and that was nothing.  It did provide a super potty stop however.  Back at the campground we stayed awake quite late listening to Nan Lou’s stories about her new friends.  It’s been a long time since I laughed that hard.  We sat in the dark with the fake candles the only illumination since we are always shy of proper electricity.. 

A couple of hikers got themselves lost on a forest road and Nannie became the hero of the hour by finding them.  It was very exciting.

Although she minimized the whole thing, you could just tell she was rather proud of herself.  That’s it for me.  nl  

Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Today was supposed to be a day of rest and of getting interior things tied down for the trip on the road.  We are heading home, but we don’t have an idea about how to go.  Montana seems to far to head north then east and for the most part we have seen what the south east has to offer.  The way home will manifest itself when we are on the road, I think.

We had the usual Dragon healthy breakfast while Nan Lou went to breakfast with her boss Michelle.  Ham immediately dived into the back storage area and rearranged things for the forty eleventh time.  I’m sure it’s perfect now.

Around one o’clock we went down the road to take care of the fax that Nannie needed to send to her new employer.

The video store that offers this service seemed to have trouble with their fax machine.  I went in hoping to make friends with their Bernese Mountain Dog, but that fizzled out too since he was kept home.  Things looked up with a scoop of chocolate ice cream for both of us.

Hooray!  We both took showers in NL’s Lazy Daze.  Neither of us felt dirty, except for my hair, but it felt so good to get completely clean.  Except for one shower at Evans’ it has been sponge baths all the way.  This felt much better and Nannie even had Umberto shampoo.  I was going to give it one sudsing, but with the stickyness that the shampoo at Evans caused, it took two.  My hair feels so much better.

Nan Lou finally appeared after doing all the horrible dirty work of cleaning fire pits and toilets.  She then went to take her own shower.  At last it was time for dinner.  We again went to the Evergreen in Wrightwood just before they closed.  All three of us were happy with our meal.

Getting back to the campground. Ham drove Nan Lou’s route checking to see there were no free loaders.  It was spooky.  I still see no sense in doing that every 2 ½ hours after dark just to catch one person who might sneak in.  It is darn spooky doing this in a completely empty campground. I would not want to challenge someone late at night all by myself.  This situation needs to be improved.

We came back to Dragon for a cantaloupe desert then NL went home and Ham has settled down with the other computer.  I imagine he will be there for hours.  No one is telling us we have to vacate this site by a particular time so we can sleep late if we want to.  However, we are supposed to take Nannie to breakfast tomorrow, so that might dictate something.  I don’t know what, but something.

I thought Ham was engrossed in maps and such and it seems he is researching Randolph Scott and very ancient Class B Westerns. 

I think I’ll go to bed. nl 

Wednesday, September 04, 2013

As usual for the day of starting a trip we did not get up real early. By the time we got some things ready to go that hadn’t been done yesterday and rounded up Nannie for breakfast at the Grizzly it must have been near 11:00. As usual they served up great breakfasts and we all were stuffed.

After breakfast we took one last tour of Wrightwood to see the mostly little houses, each and every one different from its neighbors. I called the number of a small For Sale By Owner and found it was $160,000. That’s for a 2 bedroom house of maybe 1100 sq. ft. Another larger one was over $300,000 which calculated out to $200 per sq. ft. Oh well, it costs money to live in a semi isolated community. Looks like my Log Lady and my Rock Lady won’t be living there this year. 

Back at the campground Nannie told us Ari told her where the holey tree was and we found it with no trouble. I had been expecting a tree with 3 or 4 inch diameter holes all the way through the trunk and was surprised to see it had holes about 5/8ths of an inch in diameter only about an inch or so deep. They were spaced about 2 inches apart all around the trunk and all the way up. I understand they are drilled by birds or squirrels and when winter comes the holes have acorns stored in the holes. Never heard of anything like that and I’ve heard it all.

I tried the Lazy Days’ generator and it was the same as when I first tried it, it would run for 15 seconds and then shut off no matter what I did. Score one for not exercising the machine. Then it was time hook up LC and hit the road. All that went smoothly along with sad goodbyes after a 20 day stay at Table Mountain.

We headed down hill to get gas at the nearest large station, a Pilot south of Victorville. I tried one in Phelan and as usual for the state of California some of the pumps were dead. After gassing up we headed northeast on I-15 with a bit of a crosswind and temperatures climbing toward 95 degrees. I had places all screwed up in my head and thought we were in for a long trip. Then I saw that Barstow was only 29 more miles and we decided to call it a short day and stop at Shady Lane where we had spent a night on our way west three weeks ago. It was about 4:00 when we pulled in to one of the few remaining pull through sites, plugged in, and paid our $30. Having electricity to run our AC is well worth it.

Having juice for computing is also a joy we have missed up the mountain and we both have been computing after Nan Lou’s fine leftover dinner and a couple of rousing games of that Banana Something game. I say no more.   hb

Thursday, September 5, 2013 

Up and attem and on to Peggy Sue’s around 10:00. For a kitschy place Peggy Sue puts out a pretty good breakfast. Then we hit the 15 toward Las Vegas. It was uphill for all the 150 miles. We knew when we hit Nevada because of the state line casinos on both sides of the highway. 

Just before leaving California for Nevada we saw a strange looking facility about a mile or less of the road. We had seen it on our way to LA and thought it might be a field of solar panels. It was a pretty strange looking area which looked like several acres of solar panels or maybe mirrors laying flat on the ground with tall towers near them. There was a weird looking thing like a bright light in front of the towers even though it was all in brilliant sunlight. We have seen many strange and unexplained things in California and Nevada. It sort of reminds me of an area we saw in Idaho where the government has several factory looking places a mile or so from the highway but plainly visible as you drive by.

Reaching Vegas we again remarked at how it had spread out and grown since we first visited 15 or 20 years ago. On our way to LA the traffic flowed quickly and smoothly through the city on I-15 but today around 1:30 or 2:00 it was bunched up and creeping in a couple of spots.  

I had planned to take route 93 north from the 15 a little north of Vegas and wanted to get gas first. We stopped at a Petro station with an adjacent Valero near the Las Vegas Speedway and found them too difficult to mess with. The good old phone app showed a Loves at route 93 so we continued onward. They had a Subway and for once their sub tasted pretty good. It was the second Subway we’ve been in on the trip that did not have the usual Subway stench.

Our planned stop was up on 93 in the town of Alamo, Nevada, about 73 miles northward. It was nice being on a good old blue highway again. Unlike the last one we were on between Table Mountain and LA this one was straight. Again it climbed steadily but not steeply to Alamo. There were absolutely no signs of people for the 73 miles except for the usual strange Nevada secret places. Speaking of secret places, when we reached the Alamo RV park the host told me we were just across the western mountain range from Area 51. Who knows what will happen tonight as the government unleashes all sorts of secret aircraft for whatever reasons they have to do so. It’s almost like being in Roswell, NM.

All day the temperature was 98 to 104 degrees. On climbs the Dragon sounded labored and sounded sort of like it downshifted when it really didn’t. I had noticed this once before on some long climb and didn’t think too much of it. Now I am thinking it has something to do with the radiator fan which might have a thermal controlled device to speed it up in high temperatures. Somehow I need to check this out.

This little town has a Mexican restaurant and an ice cream store a short walk from the campground. We went and had a scoop of ice cream and Nan Lou went into the Mexican restaurant to see if they served breakfast. One of the three ladies there asked her when she wanted it. NL said tomorrow about ten and was told they would serve it. Maybe we will try it.   hb 

I have to add that all in all Nevada has some very spooky things in the desert.  Example that wasn’t mentioned; a high wall all by itself out in the desert.  Those lights Ham mentioned take the cake, however, even though they are actually in California. I put Exit 291, Route 15 in Google and asked about the lights and was told there was no information.  Mighty weird!  Mighty spooky to see the brightest spot lights imaginable shining on a barren hill. nl  

Final note. At the campsite in Alamo we had a good internet connection and after about 30 minutes I found an explanation for the panels, mirrors, and mysterious bright lights. It indeed was a solar power generating station. Not with a giant field of solar cells but with a giant field of special mirrors that focused sunlight onto water tanks on tall towers which generated steam to power steam

turbines which drive generators pretty much like any old power plant. If you’re interested, look up: Ivanpah Solar Power Facility.

Friday, September 06, 2013   

It was a very lazy morning.  Hammie seemed to want to sleep and mean me kept bothering him until he decided that it was useless to keep trying to nap.  Poor thing!  The temperature was something like eighty nine then quickly rose to the low nineties. It looked like it was going to be a scorcher but I was wrong, as usual.

Except for the full time working campers we had the place to ourself.  It was pleasant.  Well, we decided to take in the American/Mexican restaurant for breakfast.  We didn’t want to disappoint the nice ladies.  We made the very short walk to Carlos’.

No nice lady, but Carlos himself.  Soon one of the ladies gave us menus.  We both wanted huevos rancheros last night but it just didn’t sound appealing to either one of us.  We both settled on  breakfast burritos.  The flavor was completely different from the tex/mex burritos at home.  These were mild with muted flavors.  They were very tasty with very excellent tortillas which one of the girls (who had come) said her papa made them.  The best I have ever had.

Enough about breakfast.  I think I’ve said it all.  Ham filled up the propane tank and checked out after chatting with the workkamper while her very hairy husband and I had a wee chat.  At last we were ready to go.

The hills (mountains?) were very pretty with strata of different colors.  Sometimes the layers were almost perpendicular and sometimes they were wavy.  They stayed with us all day.  The sky was dark with rain streaks off in the distance.  There was an occasional flash of lightning.  After what seemed like a pretty long while we saw the oncoming cars splashing water and thought, “Hooie!  Rain!”  And, sure enough it did.  The first time we’ve seen wet stuff in a very long time.

We got to Ely, NV just about three in the afternoon.  Ham was hungry and with Siri’s help we easily found the McDonalds and had our red meat for the week with each of us having Quarter Pounders.

Ham had called an RV Park and procured their last pull through space.  He filled the van up with gas and with the phone’s handy map program off we went to said park.  The last space turned out to be very nice with a tree and no one on our right.  It was easy to pull into.  We spent an hour or so discussing where to go next and watching a man with a trailer back in and spend lots of time setting up.

My back hurts; I’m going to change clothes; I don’t know what I’ll do after that. nl

Saturday, September 07, 2013,

We awoke early and I suggested one of my breakfasts and Ham wouldn’t admit it but he must have thought, “Errp!”  He then mentioned we were awake in time for an Egg McMuffin.  We scrambled and got to Mickey’s in plenty of time for breakfast.  I’m beginning to think these western McDonald’s make better food than we have been having at home.  In fact, we have even quit eating at them at home.  That’s beside the point.

We started on “The Loneliest Road” U.S 50,  It is smooth and straight and goes on to the horizon.  In this case, however, it goes on to look like it’s going to bump into the mountains.  Of course it makes a curve and weaves it’s way through the road cuts and passes.  I thought it might be nice to check out the Great Basin National Park and since it was now on the way, Ham had no objections.  It had started to rain and then came down in buckets and was still raining pretty hard when we arrived at the visitors center.

We were both glad we stopped because most of it was very interesting.  We learned about the bristlecone pine trees which can live to be 4000 years old.  Wow!  That’s even older than me!  We also learned that this huge area’s water from snow melt and rain does not go into any ocean.  That information was something of a shocker.

We stopped at a state line place to get a bite to eat.  I will NOT go into great detail but it was a horrible meal for me.  Ham’s BLT was adequate.  I ended up leaving most of my chili which I had to have warmed in the microwave.  The experience was so bad it was laughable and we both ended up cracking up.

Ham found a corner book shelf with books for a dollar.  Six for five dollars.  Since some of the authors were well known, I chose six and it half way made up for the bad meal.

It rained off and on all the way to Scipio, Utah where there was a Flying J truck stop.  We are now nestled between a semi on the right side and one of those huge Greyhound Bus sized Class A on the other.  The Dragon never felt so small.

A couple of ice cream bars and a few Fritos served as supper.  Don’t pass that on to others.  They will think we are cretins.

A game of Scrabble and I do believe the day has ended.  The clouds were heavy so I don’t know if we will have rain tonight.  At least now we will keep the vent closed.

One last thing:  At a certain elevation, the yellow flowers were in full bloom and pretty.  I didn’t get a picture.  At a lower elevation the sunflowers bloomed.  Nice!  With all the rain, the sage turned green and we were suddenly into farmland and the pastures were bright green.  With all the drab tans and grays of the desert, the green was really a welcome sight.  I’m through now.  nl

Sunday, September 08, 2013

For a truck stop it was fairly quiet. We decided not to go to Moab and headed toward Salt Lake City in search of a Denny’s about 35 miles away. The service was very slow but the food was adequate. I ate too much. Back on the 15 and through the megalopolis of SLC, which went on for 50 miles, we finally reached the I-215 bypass and whizzed around it. Along the way the mountains to the right and left had very low clouds over them. So low that often the peaks were sticking above the clouds. We stopped at Park City and picked up some soy lattes at Starbucks in a grocery store. A search for a friendly found one in Evanston, Wyoming about 60 away. The scenery was very nice with red rocky formations on our left and rolling hills on our right. 

We are at Wally’s in Evanston with a bunch of other RVs and semis; it seems to be a popular stop. I was feeling puny and took a long nap. NL cooked up dinner with those strange meals-in-a-box things, they weren’t too bad. That’s it for now.    hb I just have to add that the service at Denny’s was about the slowest I have ever witnessed.  It was even worse than the Chili servers.  They did not give me what I ordered, like lemons for the water.  This Denny’s had a very slow kitchen.  It was not the waitresses fault.  nl

Monday, September 09, 2013

We were too late for a Mickey Delite. NL vetoed that any saying something about eating healthy. She cooked breakfast, cereal and an orange.

We gassed up and headed east. The hills and rocky formations were just as pretty as yesterday although not quite as rugged. The road had very light traffic and we climbed a few hundred feet to somewhere around 7,000 feet. Like Nevada and parts of the California dessert we saw some small to medium size mysterious industries about a mile or two off the highway. Only one had a sign with about five chemical company names on it. It was at Westvaco Road. That name sounds familiar; I will have to look it up. There were miles and miles of small tanks and other mechanical looking things along each side of the highway and maybe five oil wells. I think it must have something to do with natural gas fields, but I am not sure. One small town named Wamsutter looked very industrial and possibly housed workers from the area. Another thing to look up. 

We saw quite a few long freight trains today. I was able to measure one and it was 1.1 miles long. There were longer ones and one might even have been two miles long. We’ve noticed then on several western trips and wondered why we never see any in Indiana. We never see a passenger train, I wonder if there are any.  

We stopped at Rock Springs for a Mickey snack and continued on for a few miles until I got sleepy and had to nap at one of the few full scale rest areas we’ve seen. After about an hour we were on our way to Rawlings, Wyoming and a truck stop for the night. The first thing we did was clean Rachel’s home before it was too late and dark to do. Then it was a quick game of Bananarama and truck watching. We might eat something small, or not. The sunset was very nice over the hoods of the Petertbuilts parked next to us.   hb  

I wanted to go in the Boot store to see what their wonderful season end sale was all about.  The answer to that: Not much!  The prices were exorbitant.  I really like this Wyoming road.  Each mile seems to have a different scene.  Also with all the trucks, it is not really busy.  So, it’s quite pleasant to travel.  I suppose my memory has slipped with age, but I just can’t remember many of the outstanding scenes from our trip west just a few weeks ago.  It was like traveling a whole new road.  Hmmmmm. nl   

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

We drove to Laramie, Wyoming and found a WalMart for the night. For some reason I am rather foggy about the day except we did some shopping in Wally’s buying some groceries, and some cheap jeans for me and a couple of unmentionables for Nan Lou.   

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

It rained all night I think, judging from the looks of our parking lot campground.  It continued raining while Hammie tried on his Wal-Mart jeans.  Then it rained while we dashed into the store to return them.  Another pair was just the same size so poor Ham will have to make do with one pair until another can be found at another store.

Almost all the campers have gotten out earlier than we.  It takes a while to make the cereal and yoghurt parfait and scrambled eggs in the microwave.  The little trailer called a “Cub” was there when we arrived yesterday and it was there when we left.

We continued east on I-80 and the land became flatter and flatter.  So much so I kept saying, “Are we in Nebraska ye?”  We had gone up one steep hill in the fog and pouring rain.  Visability was terrible. It was a shocker to find out we were at 8,000 feet, a little over, actually.  That was the highest altitude of this trip.

So when we finally got to NE we saw small mesas and rock outcroppings on both sides of the road.  I said, “See NE does have rocks.”

I think after fighting the weather Ham probably thought, “Who cares!”  Yes the rain continued off and on.

Hammie wondered if I wanted to stop at Cabella’s.  Of course I did.  After we ate, of course.  We ate at Perkins and Ham had a chicken breast, mashed potatoes and gravy, and mixed veggie full meal deal.  I had a sandwich with strange name and chocolate pie called French Silk.  Except for being almost drenched when we ran into the place and finding it freezing, it wasn’t a bad culinary experience.

Then we went over to see the fish at Cabela’s only to find there weren’t any.  Phooey!  We wandered through the whole store and found the prices were exorbitant.  Then we drove over to look the Cabella campground over only to find all the pull throughs were taken.  Then we stumbled on to an area with no services except electricity.  Ham was getting peeved at the whole thing.  I like to think he was tired.  So he charged into the store to pay for a space only to be overcharged .  He then had to go to customer service for a sizable refund.  Believe me when I say he was pretty fed up with Cabella’s by then.  The sites were all sloping as usual to the right.

Ham drove around to attack the site from the opposite side, and yep, it was sloping to the right.  Enough was enough so we left the Dragon leaning.  Well not leaning but I’m tired of using the word sloping.  After a bit of a rest and a read, I warmed up the Subway left over pizza and that is it for the day.  I think tomorrow there must be a serious discussion about what route we are taking.

And, of course, we have to hit Wally’s to look for a pair of jeans.  The furnace is on and it is warm.  Yaaaay!  Certain advantages to having electric hookup…..you know, like not having to read by flashlight.  nl  

Thursday, September 12, 2013

After eating at Perkins last night we didn’t want the same fare, but returned to McD’s for the breakfast egg Mc Muffin which seems to be the best thing on their daily menu. 

Then we went to Wal-Mart to see if they had the jeans with the bizarre sizing.  In other words, they are weird seconds and each pair seems to be just a bit off of the size indicated.  This time Ham chose to try them on in the fitting room instead of buying, trying on, returning, on and on ad infinitum. Yaay!  He found a pair that fits snugly and he is now down to a 32 inch waist.  I don’t want him to completely disappear.

The Dragon turned north bound toward the Badlands.  As Hamilton remarked, “Nebraska IS the Cornhusker State.”  Seeing all the fields of corn and the almost flat land, we felt a little bit like we were back in Indiana.

We saw a sign to Chimney Rock, Ham thought we had been there before but we decided to see it again. It was a long pointed chimney like thing sticking up from the top of a big hill. The visitor’s site was a Nebraska one and wanted $3 each and being cheap we bypassed it. Ham said it didn’t look like he remembered. I think he was thinking of some other place. He thinks so too. 

I began to get hungry.  What else is new?  And when we came to Alliance, I kept insisting there was a Denny’s because I had found reviews on the phone.  Unfortunately, no one else promoted the diner and those folk were the accurate ones.  Wrong again, Nan Lou.

I was a twitter however since I also learned that Allliance was also the home of the art piece on the prairie called Carhenge.

At the edge of town we settled on a small café called Homestead.  It looked, on the outside, like a spiffed up Arthur Treacher’s.

Inside, it was clean and sort of cute.  We had excellent BLT’s.  AND the funny desert was a “beignet”.  I say funny because it was a fried dinner roll sprinkled with powdered sugar and cinnamon.  Mudbug’s beignet’s they were not.  However, all in all in was a pleasant culinary experience.  It was fun.

Carhenge was only three miles down the road.  It was just off the highway with easy parking.  A path led to the cars, all painted gray of course.  It was really fun to walk all around the thing.  I read a piece explaining that it was made as a memorial to the artist’s father.

The whole family helped assemble it.  Yes, it is hokey and kitschy, but I do love that sort of thing and I thought it was great.  Ham liked it too, or so he said.  No one was there except one other man, a bike rider who left Carmel, IN when he was five.  He and Hammie had a nice talk about the changes in the town.  Don’t get me started about the changes along Keystone Ave.

Well, anyway, I have always wanted to see this thing, even though the Thinker or even a Christo installation, it’s not.  I wasn’t disappointed. Now we have seen the real Stonehenge in England, a replica Stonehenge somewhere on the north bank of the Columbia River in the state of Washington, and Carhenge. I wonder what other Henge things await us.

We continued northward and missed the road leading to a state park.  The road we were on is one of those things with tar strips that rattle your teeth as you go over them.  Rachel felt like she was in a tsunami.  Being the plucky thing she is, she didn’t seem worse for wear.  I digress, we missed the turn to the park and continued on thinking we would turn right, then right again and make our way back.  But when we got to Hay Springs (where we were to turn right) there was a little city park campground.  We hustled in only to be the only ones there except for a long term trailer.  The electric hook up worked, so here we are.  Tomorrow morning, I’m sure the Hay Springs law will come knocking at our door for the fee…..whatever it is.

The best part of this campsite was the frolicking of half grown rabbits right outside the Dragon.  They were so cute and so funny to watch, what a great way to end a good day!  Oh yes, we skipped a whole day and the dates of the log were all messed up.  In his inimitable style, Hamilton figured it out and I think everything is copacetic now.  I’m not, so I think I’ll quit while I’m ahead.  nl

Friday, September 13, 2013

It rained in the night and was still drizzling when we awoke.  I fixed one of my meager breakfasts, but I keep telling myself that they are healthy.  No one came by to collect for our site.
Ham stopped at a local gas station on the corner of Hay Springs to get the daily dose of gasoline.  Here, he learned that the cold we encountered when we exited the Dragon was the first time all season.  He was told that it was often in the 100s.  That seems like it’s overdoing it a bit and the low sixties suit me just fine. Ham learned that the camping fees were collected by the city so off we went to 

City Hall, a storefront, and he paid the $15 fee. Seems like most places with pull thru electric cites run closer to $30.

Off we went on very bumpy roads.  I was surprised to see that they were Bureau of Indian Affairs roads (BIA).  No wonder they were bumpy.  The pastoral scenery was beautiful in its own rolling way.  Every now and then a rock formation rose up out of the grass lands.  The farther we went the more we would see very small homes and mobile homes.  Most of them had a worn, run down look and we realized we had entered the Oglala Sioux reservation.

This was made Oh So Clear when we came to the town of Whiteclay.  This seems to rest right on the border of Nebraska and South Dakota.  The first thing we saw was a great big graffiti sign on the side of the building saying something like, “Death to the White Man.”  There were signs warning against alcohol consumption.  We knew that the Indian Metabolism cannot handle alcohol so many young Indians are addicted to it quickly.  There was a group of over five men standing around in the middle of the sidewalk.  I think it was either in front of a saloon or the local grocery store.  Their body language was far from friendly.  I wanted to take a picture of them but I was too chicken.  Unfortunately, Ham the Brave, was to busy driving and trying to take everything in at the same time, to be able to take pictures too.  I sure wish we felt comfortable enough to hang around, but it seemed time to skedaddle out of there.

The next town was Pine Ridge.  This was the hotbed of the AIM (American Indian Movement) of the seventies, I think.  After Whiteclay, this could have been Shelbyville.  The usual fast food restaurants dotted  the main street.  The only difference, really, that I saw was the number of young Indian men walking along side the road.  They were certainly used to walking down the road to home from the town.

We saw one home (I didn’t get a picture) that had its whole big yard covered and piled high in trash.  Most of the homes, however poor,  had neat yards, even if the grass wasn’t mowed.  Some had a broken bike or a junk car up on blocks but you see that in KY and TN.  But that first one I mentioned was unbelievable.  I can’t imagine the vermin and spooky wildlife that lives underneath all of that.

There were signs all down the road urging people to keep their yards trash free.  Perhaps those inhabiting that house couldn’t read, or it had been collecting for so many years it was just too much trouble to try and clear it out.

We came to Wounded Knee which had a huge sign written on both sides telling the sad story of the massacre.  And, yes, since it was written by the Indians, it was called a massacre. Before we could even get out of the car a guy came up wanting us to buy a little drum (made in China or Indonesia).  He wanted ten dollars for it and we had to pass.  Perhaps we should have offered him two to help him out, but, frankly, I didn’t think of it.

Hammie and I were both getting hungry.  However, we were in a very lonely area and what towns we came to were nothing more than a crossroad of Indian dwellings. Ham said we could eat at a place (town) called Interior.  No luck there, but by then we were just two miles from the park entrance.  The first place we went was to the park restaurant/gift shop.

The restaurant has overhead fans and we about froze until Hamilton asked for different seats.  He had an expensive but small buffalo burger and I had a Sioux taco.  This had a piece of fry bread with nacho stuff piled on top.  Not too bad.  Both meals terribly overpriced.  I wonder if every single National Park is that way nowadays.

I told Hammie that campers were just rolling in.  Since I was born to exaggerate, he naturally took what I said with a grain of salt.  After all it was still early for campers to be stopping.  Well, when we were eating, he was facing the windows and he couldn’t believe the number of camping vehicles rolling by.  We gobbled our food and flew.  Sure enough we rode round and round and all the electric sites were filled. Finally a fellow in a golf cart stopped us and asked if we were looking for electric.  When we said yes, he said something like, “Well, you can be Campground Host.”  Voila! he moved some orange cones that we wondered about and we were directed into that site.  Were we ever lucky?

Getting LC unhitched from the Dragon was one awful chore.  The thingies that get stuck were REALLY stuck.  It took pounding and Lord only knows what all to get it separated.  After that was accomplished Ham was in the mood for desert so it was back to the restaurant.  All I can say is that Ham had something called Kuchen and I had the smallest dip of ice cream known to man.

After that fare, we wandered the rather great gift shop, overpriced of course.  I bought a little book of Indian Wisdom for $5.00.  When I say little I mean about 2 inches by 2 inches.  That price is what Half Price charges for some of those little books so I didn’t feel too cheated…….well, maybe a little.

We took a most lovely drive among the Badland formations right at sunset and it was one of the best hightlights of the trip.  I’m sure we will do the whole loop tomorrow and I will have my handsful keeping Hammie off the edges.

That’s it for me.  nl

Saturday, September 14, 2013

We were up about 10:30 and Nan Lou whipped up a fine breakfast. Then we went off to the Visitors Center, bought a bird book, a tree book, and saw a old movie about the Badlands. I had wanted to go to the store/restaurant and see if they had internet so I could read something about the flooding in Longmont, Colorado but I started to feel lousy. Nan Lou sent me to bed after a fine protein filled snack-lunch. I slept a couple of hours. I guess it was all due to staying up most of the night playing with photos and logs on the computer. 

We headed out again for a drive on the Badlands Loop Road. It was a hot sunny day and the colors popped out better than yesterday’s cloudy day. We stopped at almost all of the view areas and even took a very short walk where we believe Nan Lou’s favorite eagle fetish escaped many years ago. We realized with the rains and the usual fast moving waters that happen a couple of times a year that the poor eagle has long since been swept down many creeks and rivers to end up in the Gulf of Mexico. But, we have to visit the site every now and then.

Our drive went as far as the northern park gate, Pinnacles Entrance. We declined the 12 mile drive down the gravel road to the Sage Creek primitive campground because I didn’t feel like doing a dirt road and it was getting dark. Along the way we stopped to watch prairie dogs which is always fun and even got a couple of them to pose for the camera. This trip was replete with wildlife; besides the doggies we saw a well fed coyote, not like the emaciated ones we’ve seen in Joshua Tree National Park, and some white rump goats or sheep feeding at the side of the road. They too posed for photos. 

All the wild critters were toward the far end of the Loop Road and not near the more populated area around the Visitor Center and campground. Also the colors in the formations were more vivid with more reds and yellows accented with the green of some vegetation. The land in some areas was practically flat as far as one could see with the Badland hills, rocks, formations popping up a couple of hundred feet every now and then. When one was at an overlook the valley floor looked to be many hundreds of feet below.

Back to this morning, I was surprised to see most of the RVs were gone. I though the hordes in the campground were here for the weekend but I guess I made a mistake. By nightfall when we returned from our drive there were more vehicles in the campground but not as many as last night. 

The restaurant was closed which was a blessing of sorts, but Nan Lou had to prepare her third meal of the day. She did an admirable whipping up a spaghetti and meatball dinner complete with Ritz crackers that beat anything the eatery has. 

We will probably leave tomorrow after a last meal in the restaurant in Cedar Pass Lodge and head up to I-90. Who knows where we will go from there. The Shadow knows, hee, hee, hee. God that is so scary. 

Bed time for Browns, guid nicht,   hb 

Sunday, September 15, 2013

It has been a rather uneventful day. We were up sort of early and went to the Park restaurant for breakfast. It was a continental for $5.95 and a full hot breakfast for $8.95. Both cafeteria style. Altogether overpriced and not too good. 

Then it was off to the Visitor Center to get a couple of gifts and to complain about the lack of half price camping for Golden Age Pass holders and the crappy restaurant. I was given a form that goes to the Department of the Interior that runs the National Parks and told the name of the company that now operates the restaurant and the lodge. Lots of luck there is what I say, but the complaints are going to be read, for sure I was told. The country’s move to privatizing anything and everything is surely a giant disservice to the citizens and needs to be changed back to have the government do the things it is supposed to do. This applies to all levels, federal to town governments. Again, I say, lots of luck.

As we left the park toward I-90 we stopped at a few places to take in the Badland scenery one last time. Then it was on the road once more heading for home. Soon Nan Lou got sleepy and I wasn’t far behind her. We stopped at a rest area for an hours snooze and hit the road again with no definite place in site for the night. The time leapt ahead as we entered the central time zone and soon it was after 6 PM. We stopped at a small truck stop in Oacoma, still in South Dakota, gassed up, and ate at Arby’s. Their parking lot is gravel but it was pretty easy to find a level spot.

We have a strong Verizon signal and Arby’s has a pretty good signal too. But, they both poop the bed every 10 minutes and one has to jump through hoops to get back online. 

No plug-in tonight and the new inverter sucks juice like a Hoover. I am getting fed up with the lousy electrics in this Coachmen RV. Without plug-in they are practically useless. It is 57 now and no doubt will get down into the 40s by morning. Maybe I’ll feel more civilized by then.    hb

Monday, September 16, 2013

I think we slept very late, by the time we drove a few blocks to a place called an Oasis or something it was close to noon. We had sandwiches as close to breakfast fare as possible. Nan Lou had seen a sign along the highway for the Akta Lakota Museum and Cultural Center at the St. Josephs Indian School in Chamberlain, SD about three miles away. We took I-90 those three miles so we would see signs directing us there and found it with no trouble at all. It was a fine museum with very nice art work and exhibits along with history on the Lakota.

This museum all looked new to us but after a review of our old logs we saw we had visited it back in 2000. Back then NL mentioned that I was too tired to go in and see it. She also said there were many quotations from old Indian chiefs that were insightful and emotional. After seeing them today I have to agree.

On the way back to the highway we stopped at Mickey’s for a wee lunch and then hit the road for something like 80 or 90 miles to Mitchell, South Dakota and a Cabela’s. I was very tired and Nan Lou was a little tired so we slept the afternoon away and didn’t get up until it was dark. We had some yogurt and nuts for dinner in the Dragon surrounded by other RV overnighters.    hb

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

Last night Nan Lou wrote a stunning report for this Tuesday. Somehow in the vagaries of computerese it disappeared. As I remember we were up past the breakfast hour and ate a healthy Dragon breakfast. Then it was back on I-90 for the second or third day in a row. It was boring and tiring, but at least it wasn’t busy like some other interstates. At Sioux Falls we headed south on I-29 until we reached a two lane road that led us due east to US 30 and the city of Denison, Iowa where Wally said we could park for the night. We did some shopping and had Wally’s roasted lemon pepper chicken for dinner. By then it was bedtime. Possibly NL might find her log for today under the table or maybe even in the pickle bucket. It will surely beat this pitiful report.  hb

Wednesday, September 18, 2013

We made it a point to get up so we could dine at Mickey’s along with about 6 guys who were at least 86 years old. They were all dressed like farmers and most left in their pick ups. I wondered if they were just a few of the men from this part of the heartland who had served in WW II and then come home to do their farming. I’ll bet some of them were. If I was Tom Brokaw I would have talked to them.

Then we followed Siri’s directions to US 30 to head east on this road called the Lincoln Highway. For the first few miles it was rough enough to have been made in Lincoln’s day. Naturally Siri took us through the center of Denison which was OK since it seemed to be a pretty nice place.

We gassed up at a little Sinclair station in some little town and continued on as the two lane road changed to a four laner. It was almost like an interstate but at least one could stop and smell the roses every now and then without the big deal of using an exit ramp in the middle of nowhere.

Almost right away we noticed towering wind generators to our north about a mile from the road. We’ve seen plenty of these before but these went almost continuously on for about 110 miles. Now and then they were hidden by small hills but as soon as the ground leveled out there they were. Once after the 110 miles they seemed to have disappeared but they soon made their appearance only much farther away than a mile.

In Ames, Iowa, home of Iowa State, we stopped at a local Starbucks for a wee snack. It was good. NL had a malt that she said could not compare with the one back in Wrightwood, California and I had an iced coffee that was actually pretty good. Then off we went for the final leg of today’s drive to Wally’s in a Cedar Rapids suburb.

This was the first full day of travel on so called blue highways in a while and it was a very good feeling. I know that before we get home we might be back on the interstates unless we make herculean efforts to avoid them.    hb

Thursday, September 19, 2014

I have no idea what happened to my tome of day before yesterday.  Don’t get me started on technology.  

All in one fell swoop, Hamilton has had his fill of blue highways and he is more than ready to tackle Interstates.  Route 30 in far Eastern Iowa was the bumpiest road in the US of A.  It was horrible and there was no place to get off.  I’ll tell more about that in a bit.

Being a nice guy, and so forth, after a relaxing morning, Hammie decided to treat me to an IHop French toast breakfast.  That was such a treat to look forward to.  Unfortunately, as we have found over and over, it was a good change but it couldn’t compare with the IHop breakfast back in Fishers.  I feel like such a Scrooge.  But it’s true.

Now then, the road!  The longer it went on and on and on, the grumpier and grumpier and grumpier Hammie became.  Since this was the first unpleasantness on the whole trip I just couldn’t understand it.  So I asked.  It seems he was worrying about the VASA. EEEK!

I hadn’t even thought about that.

When we got to Clinton we chose the wrong road and missed the bridge over the big Mississippi.  Well, Ham depends on his new love Siri to set him straight.  She is obviously a woman of ill repute, because I thought it was a simple thing to get back to where we made the error.  She had us so turned around going behind the big plant and going through residential neighborhoods, I had no idea where we were.  Eventually, following her directions, we were on the street that went up and over the Mississippi. Whew!

Did the road improve when we reached Illinois?  Absolutely not.  If anything things seemed to worsen.  Ham kept insisting nothing was worse than Route 30 in Iowa.  

It has been so hot today.  The highest our thermometer said was 95 degrees.  So we thought we would have to pay for an honest to goodness campground.  But by the time we got to the Flying J  it had cooled down since the sun sets so early.  In fact by 7:00 P.M. it was all the way down and sure enough, things were cooler.  We were so hot last night, and it really didn’t cool off all night long.

Now it’s time to mention our calamity of the day.  Ham was getting gas and noticed that the screen behind Rachel’s tank was covered in water.  Not being in the best of humor to start with, when I came out of the bathroom, he was slinging things right and left.  Our very nice water bottle cracked and leaked about a gallon, I swear, all over the cabinets, the table, the two bunk benches the floor, everything.  As I write this at almost nine o’clock, things still haven’t dried out.

Poor old Rachel probably felt like the sky was falling over and over because the top to her tank kept falling into the water and keeping her penned in a small area.  Then of course she was directly under the leaking bottle.

All in all it was not a really bad day.  No sirree, it was an annoying day to be sure.  We had dinner at Denny’s attached to the Flying J convenience store.  Then we walked around looking at all the trucker stuff.  That was fun.

We were parked under a tree which was the night time home of a whole flock of birds.  Ham just moved the Dragon out to a center parking area.

I think I’ll stop now.  Ham will probably want to put all the road numbers in.   That’s Ok with me.  He will do a good job, but this is my swan song.  nl  

The only thing I have to say is that we have been to the east coast, the west coast, northern Michigan, and Florida in the Dragon in the last two years. Needless to say we have been through many states getting to those far flung places. US 30, The Lincoln Highway from middle Iowa to Illinois was definitely the worst road we’ve been on. That includes interstates, national highways, state highways, county roads, and several BIA (Bureau of Indian Affairs) roads. And then to top it off US 30 in Illinois plus a good deal of Illinois 40 was almost as bad. I’m not going to give up on blue highways, yet. Somehow I will get off of them if they are like Iowa’s blue highway sample. Also, several sections of interstate roads in both states were pretty rough.    hb

Friday, September 20, 2013

Oatmeal for breakfast at Denny’s fortified us to be on the road heading East.  Unfortunately, Ham woke up with a massive headache and it wasn’t until we were miles down the road that I found out it stayed with him and even worsened.  We couldn’t find a Starbucks, which is our usual source of a caffeine fix, so had to do with McDonalds.  He had one of the McCafe’s offerings  and a hot fudge Sunday.  This should take care of caffeine and sugar withdrawal; and, goodie, it did!

The day was overcast all day and finally started to drizzle a bit.  The farm fields of Indiana were just like those of Illinois and, even, Iowa, except there were fewer windmills and a lot more trees.  All in all, you could go from one state to the other and never know the difference.

Hammie understands these things, but both his phone and Siri on my phone, played dumb and/or stupid and could not get us to a truck stop or to a Cracker Barrel.  We didn’t want to go directly home, because we would be getting there after dark and there is just so much Mickey Mouse stuff to do when we get there just to be able to go to bed.

Good old Siri directed us to a Cracker Barrel near Crawfordsville.  Oooops!  It turned out to be a Pilot truck stop with nary a Cracker Barrel in sight.  Yep, Siri, the stupe, did it again.  We went all over Las Angeles and the West and all the way to Indiana and she proved her worth the entire way.  We get to within sight of home and both of them poop the bed as Evans likes to say.

Anyway, Rachel is very frisky.  Does she know the end of this torture is near?  Ham is in getting permission to stay here with the mighty semis.  And, I’m finished with this.  So there you have it.  Tomorrow will wrap the whole thing up.  In the meantime I have to find a book to start now and finish at home.  nl

September 21, 2013

It rained quite hard in the night and it was pretty chilly to boot.  Rachel got all wrapped up in her winter coat.  We talked and debated about breakfast and then decided to move on and figure it out later.

About the time we reached Lebanon, we thought we would go on to……ta da!.....where else?....Panera’s in Castleton.

As we were turning on to 82nd St.from Allisonville going south, I remarked to Hammie about what good time he had made.  In his usual humble way, he said we were only about 40 miles away.  Well, it was 40 something, but I forget the exact number which isn’t important anyway.  Ham parked the Dragon in front of Marsh at the curb alongside the street.  We walked into Panera’s and immediately froze. There were plenty of empty tables however.  When we settled down like old home week, the din began.  There was a group on young adults playing Uno and talking in the usual Panera’s voices.  Welcome back, Browns.  No the usual staff were not working. So all in all it was a so so welcome back for the Panera lover.

Hammie was somewhat worried about what he would face when we got home.  Luckily all these worries were put to rest and everything was just fine.  We even had hot water because Ham had put it on rest or vacation or something.

We got a bit settled then went over to PacMail to retrieve ours.  Then, believe it or not, Baskin Robbins was the next stop and then we did the old thingy of taking it to the dog park to eat and watch the dogs hump and poop while eating.  We are so gentile, are we not?

It was a good bunch today, so it was a bit of fun watching them frolic.

Finally, we had our showers and became all sweet smelling. Hamilton thought Cheung’s sounded good.  To tell the truth, I was a bit leery after my Chinese disaster while we were gone. I tested myself and took the bull by the horns and ordered egg fu young.  Yaay!

I was able to eat it without gagging.  It is hard to comprehend what that horrible meal did to me.

Then, it was home and time to hit our own beddy bye for the first time in ?  ..6 weeks?

It was a good trip.  We have to see the VASA and its companion which hopefully survived the trip..  That will be great.  We saw the new born baby Logan Hamilton. We visited with Nan Lou.  We saw beautiful western scenery. We saw Carhenge.  We went to the Sioux Indian Museum and Cultural Center, found out we had been there thirteen years ago, and also found it that it is the St. Joseph boarding school for orphaned and abused Indian children, that we used to send money to once a year. We visited Wounded Knee and Pine Ridge and saw some spooky Indians and graffiti in Whiteclay, Nebraska.  What more could one trip offer.  We had no car trouble!!!!!! Imagine that!  Ham handled the evil LA traffic like a pro and neither one of us got sick. Now THAT can’t be beat.

So starting a second page seems silly; but, I have finished and now on Sunday, September 22, 2013 I go to bed.  I hope Hammie has a lot to add.  nl.

How could I add anything to such a great log report? NL mentioned Panera’s noise but she didn’t mention the Panera’s we visited while out west. They were much the same except they brought the food to our table and the other customers were not nearly as noisy as the Hoosiers at our local P in Castleton. In fact we again noticed the overall politeness of the California people and other westerners compared to the local Indiana folk. That goes for most drivers whether in LA traffic or on the highways. Maybe we just see the worst of Indiana because we live on the NE side of Indy. 

Our route was partially dictated by trying to avoid really hot weather and finding different roads to get from point A to point B. Both were pretty successful except for the roads in eastern Iowa. 

The lack of wildlife was something new for us. Even the ever present fence perched hawks were very scarce. We did see one and that was in Indiana.      hb

The dining room at the Jacob Lake Inn.

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Old What's His Name in the 50s diner.

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Size 50 backsides in the 50s diner.

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One of the tax evading unfinished houses in the Mormon city of California City. This one didn't have the high privacy fence to keep nosy people like us from looking.

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Yes, it's Lost Wages, Nevada. We did not stop.

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Ranger Nan's vehicles at her camp host site at Table Mountain near Wrightwood, California.

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Our Dragon parked across from Nannie. 

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Dragon Lady Nan with Ranger Nannie talking about me.

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I see the moon, the moon sees me. 

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